Petite Cosette
by Emperor Napoleon
Summary: Stories of Cosette's childhood at the inn. T for child abuse.
1. Chapter 1

Cosette was a little girl in the small French town of Montfermeil outside of Paris. In 1818 her mother, Fantine, had left her there with 2 innkeepers, the Thenardiers. Right away they had put the small child to work as a slave, treating her fully as one. She was made to work from dawn to dusk, fed not enough to keep a mouse alive, and she wore only dirty rags. Hell, they did not even give her shoes, and would send her out in the snow to fetch water in bare feet. If she failed to do any of these tasks, the ferocious woman, Madame Thenardier, would unmercifully beat her with a whip, broom, or fists. In one cause, she had been forced to strip off her clothing in front of a drunk crowd and then had rotten fruit thrown at her. But to add insult to injury, the 2 loved and cooed on their own little daughters, Eponine and Azelma. The poor little girl was terrified of adults and would scream in fear if any tried to approach her, and would hide in a ball. She had been only three when this all started, and tried to run away at six.


	2. Running Away

Cosette was exhausted, having finished another night's work of dishes. Madame would hopefully allow her to eat, as she was starving. Then she saw her mistress walking toward her. She gulped in fear. Without a word, the woman grabbed her and shoved her outside. She looked up with a pleading look in her eyes. "Madame please I have worked hard all day. May I please have something to eat"? Cosette was only six and had not eaten in 3 days. Madame Thenardier hit her. "No you little rat, you did not do good enough". Cosette grabbed her skirt. "But please ma'am I promise I will do better next time, I really will"! "I promise I will never ask for anything again, please!"

Madame laughed, and Cosette was terrified of it. "You may ask if you want, Cosette. Of course you know what you will get for it, won't you?" she turned and walked back into the inn, and Cosette fell to the ground and sobbed. "Madame please, she cried,don't hurt me!" Madame came out with a strap. "Get up!" the order was very harsh. With tears in her eyes, Cosette obeyed. The whip tore into her exposed skin, stinging. The child tried her best to take her mind to a happy place, her castle on a cloud she dreamed of every night. She even sang a song about. There no body shouted at her, there were rooms full of toys, and her Maman was there. When the beating was over, Madame threw Cosette to the ground. She walked back into the inn. Cosette felt the chill of the wind, and saw a full moon coming out on a dark night. She was scared to death of the forest and dark, but she had to leave that inn and go to Maman, or any kind grownup who would take her in, but be kind to her and not beat her like Madame did. The child started to run without warning. She ran through the empty streets of the village, past the bakers, the inn, the school, and the toy shop. She ran through the forest, scared to death but with her energy pumped up she was not her normal self. She raced down the road until she was out of Montfermeil entirely. She knew where she would go: Paris. But she had ran for miles and was exhausted, the bottoms of her bare feet raw and bloody. She had to rest, she would go on in the morning. She hid behind a large bush and soon was fast asleep.

A sharp kick to the ribs awakened her at once. "Well well well what do we have here"? Cosette knew that voice all too well: Madame Thenardier's. "Well, we clothe, shelter, and feed this ungrateful little girl and this is what we get in return"? Madame's voice was so full of hatred it scared her. Cosette was on her feet in an instant, but was immediately grabbed by her left arm. Monsieur Thenardier twisted it back so much she screamed in pain. Madame bent down to her, her cold blue eyes filled without mercy. She talked in a tone so low it was hard to hear, and her breath smelled bad. "Girl, you will not eat for a week, and you will do twice as many chores. And I will give you a whipping you ain't never going to forget, beat you to an inch of your life, I will, so help me God." Cosette whimpered and was immediately dragged back to the inn and her life of never ending hell.

Introduction

This book covers Indian wars.


	3. A friend

Cosette lay under the stairs unable to move or cry. The beating was the worst she had ever received. Madame had beaten her with the strap until her back was red from blood. Then she had beat her with the broom, and eventually resorted to kicking and punching her, and had burned her wrist. Even Eponine and Azelma had cried, it had scared them of what their parents were truly capable of. Cosette could not work for a month, enraging the innkeepers. She was covered in wounds and was sure bones had been broken, but got no medical attention. Someone might have those two punished for hurting a child so badly. Recently a neighbor, an elderly woman, had moved in to a small house next store from the inn. She had heard Cosette's shrieks of pain, and knew it was a child being abused. She loved children and had cried for the child. If it happened again, she would talk to her caregivers. If that achieved nothing, she would try to get the police involved somehow. There may not be child laws, but any sane human being would make sure this stopped. One day in the winter she saw here going with a heavy bucket through the snow. She noticed she was in rags and was barefoot. She would talk to Madame Thenardier some time. That time came a week later, when she saw Cosette being dragged out by her hair. Madame had the whip in her hand. She was slapping and yelling at the child. "You worthless slut, you broke our best glass"! "I-I'm sorry Madame, please let go, you're hurting me". "Ooh Ooh please let go Madame you're hurting me, well child that is nothing compared to what you will suffer now" she cruelly mocked. She shoved Cosette to the ground and began to strike her. Cosette begged for mercy, but it was in vain. The old woman watched the scene in vain and walked out to confront her in anger.

"Madame!" Madame Thenardier looked up to see the old one approaching her. "I hope you have a reason for beating this poor child, you are making her bleed!" Madame looked up, not used to being talked to this way. "Madame this child broke out best glass, the clumsy oaf was just walking around mindlessly"! "Well then I am sure it was an accident. Child, apologize to her." Cosette looked up timidly. "I'm sorry, Madame". The old woman gave a grin of triumph. "Then the issue is solved. "Come child to my house now, I want to give you something". Madame just stood there, until the woman walked over to her. "And you Madame, I know how you treat this poor soul, and you better heed my warning and stop this cruel treatment immediately"! Then she turned and walked away. In her house Cosette stood in a chair. The woman gave her a warm glass of milk and some chocolate. She gazed at her small bare feet, reddened with the cold. "Child why are you barefooted this time of year? Little children should only run around like that in the summer time". "Madame never lets me have shoes". The response was timid and quiet. "Well I, Madame Orleans, will make sure that woman treats you better. What is your name"? "Cosette, Madame". The old woman then responded: "Here, I want you to play a little bit after your work. I will talk to that woman". Madame Thenardier did not beat Cosette as much as the old woman was around and allowed her to play after her chores. A month later the neighbor suddenly died and the child was devasted. Madame became just as cruel afterwards and her life became bleak again.


End file.
